Why Duke Basketball Is on Its Way Down

When it comes to college basketball, there are a couple of dominant powerhouses that even the most distant of fans immediately recognize. Duke easily stands at the forefront of that list.

Sporting four national titles and 11 Final Fours under legendary coach Mike Krzyzewski, the Blue Devils have been the class of the nation for decades. Now, however, an unprecedented fall in the 2012 NCAA Tournament has sent the program into a sense of disarray.

As the 2012-13 season rapidly approaches, we take a look at why the Blue Devils will continue their descent from glory. 

Recruiting Slow Down

When it comes to adding talented prospects to its storied ranks, Duke can draw in top-notch recruits on name alone. Unfortunately, they do own a slight disadvantage due to the university's high academic standards.  

On the plus side of things, Krzyzewski is one of the best recruiters in the nation, bringing in some of the most brilliant players in the game such as Luol Deng, Grant Hill, Carlos Boozer and Jason Williams.

Since 2008, the Blue Devils have pulled in at least three 3-star recruits or better each season, according to Rivals. This offseason, however, Duke has just one commitment in 5-star prospect Rasheed Suliamon, a disappointing amount considering signing day as already passed.

While the Blue Devils certainly have the opportunity to gain some more prospects, the rise of some new basketball powers will continue to cause Duke some problems in the future acquiring big-time recruits.  

Fell Apart in the Big Games

Performing in the clutch is one of the most important aspects of any successful team. For all my time watching college basketball, Duke almost always seemed to be the squad on the sending side of those clutch performances.

Over the course of the past year, however, I was surprised to see the Blue Devils on the receiving end of upsets. Only the amazing comeback victory over North Carolina stands out to me on the season, and that was mostly due to the fantastic play of freshman Austin Rivers.

For example, the Blue Devils were completely overpowered against No. 2 Ohio State, surprised by A-10 champion Temple, upset at home by both Miami and Florida State and then completely owned by No. 15 seed Lehigh in the NCAA Tournament.

Duke may be a brilliant program with a storied history, but for any season to be a success, the team must pull out more than just one big win. In fact, I believe that coming out victorious in over half of the big games is a key to true triumph. 

Counted on Talent over Experience

I may be one of the few who actually still believes that experience is a key element in victory. When Kentucky and its youthful lineup took home the national title, their success had many believing in talent over the "old-fashioned" experience.

This belief has spread all around the sport, rooting itself in programs such as Ohio State, Baylor and, obviously, Kentucky. Duke has also become infected with this dangerous thought process, seeing more merit in recruiting than in development.

Unfortunately for the Blue Devils, however, their strategy of relying on big shot true freshman Austin Rivers didn't work as well as Kentucky's. If Krzyzewski desires to have any more success on the court in the future, he must go back to developing his players instead of counting on "one-and-done" freshmen.  

Krzyzewski Has Reached His Peak

Every player, coach and franchise has its peak, the point at which their power, influence and domination is at its highest. However, once that summit is reached, there is only one direction to go.

As Coach K has just turned the ripe old age of 65, he is close to reaching, or has reached already, his peak. Duke's fate walks hand-in-hand with Krzyzewski's, meaning that as he descends from his place atop the college basketball world, so will the Blue Devils.

While one bad postseason is hardly enough evidence to suggest that Coach K is nearing the end of his career, the many factors mentioned before are a slight confirmation of what is coming in the near future.